AMPHAR

You got to question why he is available in August.

Risner will go with best combo of money and starting opportunity. He and his agent should be breaking down the roster like fans do at this time. There's 9/10 spots. So I'd want to know who's leaving and how? Because IF they are just going to IR Volson. That leaves him in a competition with Patrick/Ford. Fine. But does Seattle/Pitt have a better starting job right now? If Patrick's chest issue warrants IR spot then its a better landing spot.

Tee has to get and stay on the field and put up his best season since 2021. Then its not a question of what was better spent.

I don't really know, but it looks to me like they are lined up basic and players are thinking too much instead of playing as far as starters go.

Trey trying to get paid like he's going to produce 43 sacks the next 3 seasons like the last 3. Bengals trying to get him on the field this year while playing the logic he's unlikely going to produce 43 sacks the next 3 years and don't want to be tied to him IF he declines. He's easily the best pass rusher I've seen. They need him. I have no ill will until it becomes reality he's missing games. I see it both ways. There's no need for him to rush to get to camp without pushing for the absolute top. Bengals just watched Hubbard, Atkins and Dunlap experience declines. Whitworth is the clear example as the opposite. But at the end of the day the money rumored to be offered to him is very likely NOT going to be there next year with a hold out AND he's still not guaranteed to be a FA because they have the tag. So if he has a chance to cash a check for $35-40m this year then he's an idiot if he doesn't, IMO.

All you can do is hope because starting D looks crappy.

Sounds like he's dinged up

I would think Tinsley is not in a roster battle with Burton but probably Hudson or one of the other TEs. Jones finally showed up outside of special teams been a long time. Yoshi looked good. Tinsley great.

Preseason is just hard to enjoy. The starting D gets 1 drive to prove to the world they don't suck. Well they sucked again so from that point it clouds everything else. There is no finality like regular season. 1. Bad - starting D. No redeemable qualities. Let's hope they are intentionally not showing anything because they aren't showing anything in these games. 2. Bad - Joe Burrow/O-line - On 2 plays. O-line gave pressure. I believe Patrick, OBJ. But those plays didn't have to result in QB hits/sacks one a 17 yard loss, another fumble (erased by penalty) just bad QB play. Throw it away (not sure if there was a check down) what the fuck is he doing? That's the kind of shit you look up and wonder how they hell did we lose at home as a favorite opening weekend. Add to it that it is preseason and I think he's out there with the back up WRs. Just wonder what planet Joe was on during those 2 snaps. 3. Good - Joe Burrow/Back Up WRs. Moved the ball well. 4. Good - starting OL outside the 2 pressures. I like the push they got on first drive. I think Mims was perfect have to wait for the All-22 cut ups people put out there. Didn't notice anything bad from Fairchild either. Jalen Rivers looked solid when he came in. Patrick is just an average dude out there but he has some good plays then a couple breakdowns. I think he's clearly better than what Cappa was by the end of last year.

Dalton Risner is taking off his shift at the Double Deuce and coming for a FA visit. So is someone hurt more seriously or panic mode about starting guard?

Bengals shouldn't take less. They've been probably negotiating against themselves for a while. Hard to say because of the rumored teams willing to trade no $$$ were mentioned and much less to see if any of them were willing to guarantee money into his 2nd/3rd year. If you don't get your trade demand then its up to Trey to take the money on the table or gamble on himself. I don't see him doing that, I guess.

Any word on if Commanders are playing starters?

It was Odd that Lou commented on Trey during a training camp sit down NFL network. I'm thinking he's gone. Maybe its the Bengals calling his bluff but seems odd. Supposedly the Bengals were demanding a 1st rounder. I don't think that's unreasonable at all, but a this point in the game a 1st rounder doesn't help this year. Either way this seems like a tipping point and the resolution I hope comes fast.

I think "guard talk" with Asriel Abyss is overblown. Schreff would have been off the board before the draft if everything was 100% football for him. Clearly it wasn't. There's multiple guys cut from the Bengals with jobs before final cut down day. If you love PFF. The top FA guard just fired off a 50 for the Vikes in preseason action. I don't think PFF or the way fans attempt to use it is worth a crap. Fun, but not worth a crap. The only valid concern about RG, IMO, is what happens IF/WHEN the tackles go down? They have every year with Burrow.

2013-2015 Bengals were close to dong it. Steelers and Bengals beat the crap out of each other in the last game of 2014 season. Bengals lost in 4th quarter with a fumble in which the Steelers jacked up AJ's head. Sometime in the game the Bengals jacked up Bell. Steelers won the game and the division. Both teams lost in the wildcard round the next week. Bengals won it 2013, 2015. Recent games vs. Baltimore have been so close. I'd expect both to be close again and hopefully swing in Bengals favor this time. Gonna be a heck of a Thanksgiving.

I'd like to see the Trey contract situation clear up soon. I've been working under the assumption there's no way hell he will miss game checks IF the rumors are true that the total dollars are done and its just guarantee money holding it up. But hasn't happened. Conspiracy theory in me says they'll magically get it done before Monday Night broadcast so its talked about the entire night.

Run or pass. Week 1 on the road in Cleveland they need to create early scoring pressure. Whether it be run, pass, or unscripted score you have to avoid a grind out game and let the Cleveland QB just run into the line and punt (if all else fails). Put scoring pressure on Cleveland in which the opposing 0-Coord feels they need to put the game more on the QB and it will flip to the Bengals easily. Basically avoid the Pittsburgh, New England type game flows. Which involved turnovers.

I don't buy the run game talk. However, they did have a couple play actions in the preseason game. At camp they did spend a whole bunch of snap handling for what I would guess is for RPOs, really don't recall seeing that in previous camps.

Take defense out of the equation. A 1-4 start could have been 4-1 without exhaustive mental gymnastics. Defense simply wasn't going to help dig them out of a momentum shifting play, hold a late lead or tie most weeks. Offense wasn't perfect BUT if they eliminated early season TOs they are 4-1 and maybe by two scores in every win.

Kay Adams loves Graeters. The best play would be to show up to camp with a pint of Boldly Bearcat and two spoons.

When Qbs face soft coverage and are in rhythm its hard to produce pressure numbers on 16 snaps or whatever. Same reason why the OL looked good but you can't get too high about them because the Eagles DL were handicapped as well from poor coverage. Why Browning can't dominate preseason games with soft coverage despite his regular season experience is a mystery and probably the biggest concern from preseason game 1. As for the overall defense. Last year they weren't good in any quarter but amazingly got a lot worse in the 4th qtr from the level they established in quarters 1-3. There's no preseason action that's ever going to show if that will improve prior to the season. With the assumption the offense will be just as good. The defense being better in close games in the 4th quarter is the first hurdle.

CTB had a great game against KC then seemingly went to poop.

The main take away I have not seen address by the pod casters (because they don't really know things) IS.... once the o-line starters were out they remained OUT. That's a sign the coaching staff saw what they wanted AND there's not competition for any spot right now. If you think back to the Volson/Carman/Adeniji/Hill days. They were inserting those guys with starters, back ups, switching spots. That's probably the biggest indicator of the job they did up front. Guys like Tanner Hudson (played great) but he's catching TDs in the first and 4th quarter. Tells you they are on the fence with him AND maybe giving him film to move on maybe trade.

OL looked good I would include Patrick in that. However, its limited reps and the ball was coming out on time because the Eagles had trouble covering. Eagles did unleash a 0 blitz during the first quarter which is an indication of D-Coord frustration with the ball movement. The one issue that people keep bringing up which I would take issue is "back up". 1 Eagle DL played more than 70% of snaps last year. They rotate a lot. They are down 2 Edge/LBs Sweat (lost in FA) Dean (PUP knee), they signed 2 FAs and those were the guys that were playing and probably will fill big roles. I guess you could say they passed first test, but its preseason.

Eagles broadcast so much better than the local Cincy. Not sure he got in on the tush push. Replays completely better than what was last night.